GetHenry renamed itself Cycle after a $17.4M round — and skipped the trademark

German maker of electric bicycles and tricycles for commercial transport and last-mile delivery

The generic name Cycle — 'urban, bold and cool' — would fit the decarbonisation mission and win courier identification, even with no trademark on the word

$17.4M raised in May 2022

GetHenry made electric bicycles and tricycles and pitched itself around decarbonising the commercial transportation sector, focusing on electric utility bikes instead of internal combustion engine vehicles for last-mile delivery.

Fresh off a $17.4M fundraise in May 2022, the company announced on 20 July 2022 that it was changing its name to Cycle. Co-founder Luis Orsini-Rosenberg said the name and strong brand identity fit the mission to decarbonise commercial transport, and that 'as a brand, Cycle is urban, bold and cool, which is why we think couriers will identify with Cycle.' The company told TechCrunch it was not pursuing a trademark on the word 'cycle', registering only the specific shape of its logo.

The rename followed a $17.4M raise in May 2022 and was tied to the decarbonisation mission.

The founders wanted a brand couriers would identify with, calling Cycle 'urban, bold and cool'.

The company chose not to trademark the generic word 'cycle', protecting only the logo's shape.

TechCrunch warned the untrademarked name invites copycats and knock-off products.

A brand everyone can say is a brand nobody can own: generic names buy relatability at the cost of trademark protection.

As of 20 July 2022 the company was continuing its last-mile delivery business under the Cycle name. No sales, fleet or customer figures were reported, and TechCrunch's trademark warning had no reported follow-up.